High-consistency liquid filling system for soft vessel and tubular member, as vessel, transporting system and high-consistency liquid filling system and method of filling high-consistency liquid into soft vessel and device and vessel for filling high-consistency liquid

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a system for filling a container main body at least whose drum body is made of a flexible film, with a viscous material. A viscous material is charged by the charging means into container main bodies conveyed by the container conveying means, the drum body of the container main body is pressed by the pressing means to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge, and the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body is capped by the capping means, allowing the opening to be capped in an air-tight manner with a lid member while virtually all of the air inside the container main body is evacuated, and preventing air from being left over in the container main body so as to prevent hardening, curing and deterioration in the quality of the viscous material that can be caused by such remaining air.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system for filling flexiblecontainers with viscous materials such as construction sealant oradhesives; a system for conveying cylindrical members as flexiblecontainers; and a system for filling them with a viscous material;amethod for filling flexible containers with a viscous material; andequipment for filling them with a viscous material; and a containerfilled with a viscous material.

2. Description of the Related Art

Widely used containers filled with construction sealant, such as thefilled container 100 illustrated in FIG. 23, comprise a hard cylindricalcontainer main body 103 with an open proximal end, a discharge hole 102for discharging the sealant 101 formed at the distal end, and a plunger104 fitted into the proximal opening. In such a filled container 100,the sealing lid member 105 for sealing the discharge hole 102 is opened,the virgin film 106 is then cut, a nozzle not shown in the figure isthen mounted on the discharge hole 102, the container is then mounted ina special discharge gun, and the lever of the discharge gun is operatedto move the plunger 104 gradually toward the inside distal end of thecontainer main body 103, thereby allowing the sealant 101 to be extrudedand discharged.

Means widely used as a method for filling this type of container mainbody 103 with the sealant 101 comprise vertically holding the containermain body 103, usually with the proximal end on top, filling thecontainer in this state with a fixed amount of sealant 101 in such a wayas to prevent air bubbles from being mixed in through the proximal endopening, then forcibly evacuating the air between the plunger 104 andsealant 101 out through the sliding component between the container mainbody 103 and plunger 104 as the plunger 104 is inserted into thecontainer main body 103 and against the sealant 101 in such a way thatno air is left over.

Filled containers 100 with this type of structure are widely used atpresent because the air between the plunger 104 and sealant 101 can bealmost completely evacuated, and the air-tightness between the plunger104 and the container main body 103 can be satisfactorily preserved, butsince the container main body 103 is hard, the filled container 100cannot be squeezed to a smaller size after use, and is thus limited interms of volume reduction, resulting in the problem of bulky waste.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application (Kokai) 7-171461 proposed aflexible container in which the intermediate drum portion of thecontainer main body was made of a flexible film, and a relatively hardupper molded part and bottom molded part were integrally formed with thedistal and proximal ends of the container main body. This flexiblecontainer is mounted on the outer tube of a discharge gun, and thebottom molded part is moved toward the upper molded part side, so thatthe sealant is extruded and discharged from the discharge hole formed inthe upper molded part as the intermediate drum component is squeezed,thereby allowing the flexible container to be squeezed into a smallersize after use to reduce the volume of waste.

The method described for filling the container with the sealant in thispublication was a filling method in which the sealant was charged intothe container main body through the opening of the bottom molded partformed in the shape of a ring, and the opening was then closed off in anair-tight manner after the material had been charged therein.

With hard cylindrical container main body 103 such as the aforementionedfilled container 100, the container main body can be positionedperpendicular to the direction of conveyance on a conveyor to betransported from the molding equipment to the filling equipment, butflexible container main bodies such as that described in theaforementioned publication, in which the intermediate drum portion ismade of a flexible film, are sometimes deformed while conveyed whentransported by a similar conveying means, and there is thus a need for aconveying system capable of efficiently conveying such container mainbodies.

Although the sealant is discharged from the flexible container describedin the above publication as the container main body is squeezed,allowing the volume of the container to thus be reduced after use, thefollowing problems nevertheless occur.

That is, it is possible to fit the lid member and bottom molded parttogether and fix them in an air-tight manner by means of an annular lockfitting component, for example, to improve the air-tightness between thebottom molded part and the lid member, but when such a structure isused, the position in which the lid member is fixed to the bottom moldedpart is fixed, so that when the amount of sealant charged into thecontainer main body is not precisely established, there are problems inthat air remains in the flexible container, causing the sealant toharden or to cure in the flexible container when a small amount ofsealant has been charged in, whereas the sealant leaks out when thecontainer is capped with the lid member when larger amounts of materialhave been charged in. Even if the container is filled with more preciseamounts, when the lid member is fitted in an air-tight manner to thecontainer main body, the air must be completely evacuated from betweenthe container main body and the lid member, but it is difficult to thusfit the lid member in such a way as to leave no air.

The inventors took note of the fact that, when container main bodieswere filled with larger amounts of sealant, virtually all the air wasevacuated from between the container main body and the lid member eventhough excess sealant leaked out, and they discovered that virtually allof the air can be evacuated from between the container main body and thelid member when the lid member is fitted by pressing the container mainbody midway in the longitudinal direction while it is filled withsealant so as to cause the surface of the sealant to bulge in thecontainer main body and thereby increase the apparent amount of sealantcharged therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The filling system in the present invention is described with referenceto the schematic illustration in FIG. 22.

The filling system comprises container conveying means for conveying acontainer main body of which at least the drum body is made of aflexible film, charging means for charging a viscous material into thecontainer main body, pressing means for pressing the drum body of thecontainer main body to cause the surface of the viscous material tobulge, and capping means for capping the opening of the reinforcingcomponent of the container main body with a lid member.

In this filling system, a viscous material is charged by the chargingmeans into the container main bodies conveyed by the container conveyingmeans, the drum body of the container main body is pressed by thepressing means to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge,and the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main bodyis capped with a lid member by the capping means.

More specifically, when the viscous material is charged by the chargingmeans into the container main body, the surface of the viscous materialforms a peak with the center swelling up. Thus, when the drum body ofthe container main body is pressed to cause the surface of the viscousmaterial in this state to bulge, the surface of the viscous materialbulges while generally retaining a peaked shape when the viscousmaterial has been charged in. In other words, the drum body is pressedto increase the apparent amount of the viscous material charged into thecontainer main body. Since the opening of the reinforcing component ofthe container main body is capped with the lid member while the surfaceof the viscous material is thus bulging outward, the lid member firstfits closely to the apex of the surface of the viscous material, thetight fit between the surface of the viscous material and the lid memberspreads outward as the apex of the surface of the viscous material isthen flattened out, and the lid member is then fitted to the opening asthe drum body of the container main body returns to its original shape,resulting in the elimination of any gap between the surface of theviscous material and the lid member, so that virtually all the air inthe container main body is evacuated, and the opening is capped in anair-tight manner.

The filling system is a filling system wherein the container conveyingmeans comprises a carrying box for holding and conveying a plurality ofcontainer main bodies, the interior of the carrying box being divided,by means of dividing plates arranged in the form of a lattice, into aplurality of housing components with open fronts, allowing the containermain bodies to be placed in and removed from the housing components. Inthis filling system, the container main bodies are conveyed whiletemporarily accommodated in the carrying box, thus effectivelypreventing the container main bodies from being damaged as they arebeing conveyed. As such, it becomes possible to ensure that deformationor the like is prevented during transport, even when the container mainbodies have a drum body made of a flexible film.

The filling system in Claim 3 is a filling system according to Claim 2,wherein the carrying box that is used is such that a notch having anotch width which narrows in the depthwise direction is formed in theregion including generally the center in at least the widthwisedirection of the end on the open side of the dividing plates forming thehousing components. With the use of a carrying box having such astructure, when a container main body is placed in a housing componentof the carrying box, the end of the container main body on the sidewhere it is inserted is guided by the notch, even when the axis of thecontainer main body is somewhat off center relative to the axis of thehousing component, so that the container main body is smoothlyaccommodated by the housing component. As a result, the end of thecontainer main body is caught by the end of the housing component on theopen side of the dividing sheet, preventing the inconvenience ofruptured container main bodies.

The filling system is a filling system wherein housing components areformed by a plurality of the dividing plates at rows and columns in thecarrying box. As the carrying box constructed in this structure is moved1 row or 1 column at a time, container main bodies can be placed in aplurality of housing components in each row or column of the carryingbox, or container main bodies which have been placed in a plurality ofhousing components in each row or column of the carrying box can besimultaneously taken out, thereby allowing the container main bodies tobe placed in and taken out of the carrying box.

The filling system is a filling system wherein the drum body of thecontainer main body is temporarily pressed and then released by thecapping means, and the lid member is fitted to the opening of thereinforcing component of the container main body as the drum bodyreturns to its original shape after being released. With this type ofstructure, the drum body of the container main body is allowed tonaturally return to its original shape in conjunction with the action ofthe lid member being fitted to the opening of the reinforcing componentof the container main body, the lid member is fitted to the openingwithout leaving any air, and the container main body is capped in anair-tight manner.

The filling system is a filling system wherein, in order to allow theviscous material to be charged into the container main body by thecharging means, a viscous material feed tube is first inserted into theinterior of the container main body, and the viscous material isdischarged from the viscous material feed tube to charge the viscousmaterial into the container main body as the viscous material feed tubeis moved in a direction away from the container main body. In this case,the viscous material can be charged synchronously with the relativemovement between the container main body and the viscous material feedtube, effectively preventing air from being mixed into the viscousmaterial or air from being left over between the container main body andthe viscous material.

The system for conveying cylindrical members comprises a carrying box,the interior of which is divided, by means of dividing plates arrangedin the form of a lattice, into a plurality of housing components withopen fronts, allowing the cylindrical members to be placed in andremoved from the housing components as the container main bodies;packing equipment for packing the cylindrical members into the housingcomponents of the carrying box; and conveying means for conveying thecarrying box.

In this conveying system, the cylindrical members serving as thecontainer main bodies are conveyed while temporarily accommodated in thecarrying box, allowing the cylindrical members to be effectivelyprevented from being damaged during transport. As such, they can bereliably prevented from deforming or the like during transport, evenwhen the cylindrical members have drum bodies or flexible film.

The conveying system is a conveying system wherein the carrying box thatis used is such that a notch having a notch width which narrows in thedepthwise direction is formed in the region including generally thecenter in at least the widthwise direction of the end on the open sideof the dividing plates forming the housing components. With the use of acarrying box having such a structure, when a cylindrical member isplaced in a housing component of the carrying box, the end of thecylindrical member on the side where it is inserted is guided by thenotch, even when the axis of the cylindrical member is somewhat offcenter relative to the axis of the housing component, so that thecylindrical member is smoothly accommodated by the housing component. Asa result, the end of the cylindrical member is caught by the end of thehousing component on the open side of the dividing sheet, preventing theinconvenience of ruptured cylindrical members.

The conveying system is a conveying system wherein the housingcomponents are formed by a plurality of the dividing plates at rows andcolumns in the carrying box, and the cylindrical members are packed intothe plurality of housing components in each of the rows or columns ofthe carrying box as the carrying box is moved one row or column at atime. This structure allows cylindrical members to be efficiently packedin the housing components of the carrying box.

The conveying system is a conveying system further comprising transferequipment for taking the cylindrical members out of the carrying box andtransferring them. Such transfer equipment can be provided to automatethe conveyance and transfer of the cylindrical members.

The conveying system is a conveying system wherein the transferequipment further comprises an expanding head capable of expanding widerthan the inside diameter of the cylindrical member and of holding thecylindrical member from the inside. Such a structure allows thecylindrical members to be held from the inside by the expanding head andtransferred to the next step, thereby minimizing positional displacementof the cylindrical members during transfer.

The conveying system is a conveying system wherein the cylindricalmembers are taken out of the housing components by the transferequipment and are transferred while vertically oriented. Providing suchtransfer equipment allows the orientation of the cylindrical members tobe switched to a more readily manipulated orientation, thereby allowingvarious operations such as filling containers with the viscous materialor processing to be carried out more efficiently. Specifically, aviscous material can be charged into container main bodies in the formof cylindrical members, and the container main bodies can be efficientlysupplied to the filling equipment for capping.

The viscous material filling system is a viscous material filling systemin which the cylindrical member that is used comprises using a containermain body with at least the drum component consisting of a flexible filmand the open end consisting of a rigid reinforcing component, and thecontainer main body is filled with a viscous material and is capped witha lid member, wherein this viscous material filling system comprises: aconveying system for placing the container main bodies in the carryingbox to convey them; and filling equipment for charging the viscousmaterial into the container main bodies while the container main bodiesbeing conveyed by the conveying system are supported vertically with thereinforcing component on the top, and for capping the reinforcingcomponent of the container main body with a lid member.

In this filling system, the drum bodies of the container main bodies ofthe cylindrical members are made of a flexible film, but since thecontainers main bodes are coveyed in the carrying box, it is possible toprevent inconveniences such as deformation of, or damage to, the drumbodies of the container main bodies during transport.

It is also possible to automate the transport of the container mainbodies and the series of operations for charging the viscous materialinto the container main bodies and capping the container main bodieswith lid members, and it is also possible to more efficiently fill thecontainers with the viscous material.

The viscous material filling system is one in which the cylindricalmember that is used comprises using a container main body with at leastthe drum component body consisting of a flexible film and the open endconsisting of a rigid reinforcing component, and the container main bodyis filled with a viscous material and is capped with a lid member,wherein the viscous material filling system comprises: a conveyingsystem for conveying the container main bodies in the carrying box, thecontainer main bodies being taken out of the carrying box by thetransfer equipment and transferred while vertically oriented with thereinforcing component on top; and filling equipment comprising chargingequipment and capping equipment for charging a viscous material intocontainer main bodies transferred by the transfer equipment of theconveying system and for capping the reinforcing component with a lidmember.

This filling system allows the drum body of the container main body tobe prevented from being damaged or deformed, and also enables automationof the transport of the container main bodies and the series ofoperations for charging the viscous material into the container mainbody and capping the container main bodies with lid members. Inaddition, the container main bodies conveyed by the carrying box aretransferred to the filling equipment while vertically oriented by thetransfer equipment in this conveying system, so that the viscousmaterial can be charged by the filling equipment into the container mainbodies in the vertical orientation in which they are transferred, andthe container main body can be capped with lid members, resulting in thesmoother transfer of the container main bodies. The container mainbodies can be transferred while held at the reinforcement component bythe transfer equipment, making it possible to prevent inconveniencessuch as deformation of, or damage to, the drum body of the containermain body during transport.

The filling system is a filling system having filling equipment furthercomprising transport means with support means for holding thereinforcement component of the container main body from the outside bymeans of a damper to support the container main body, the support meansbeing provided around the outside of a rotating table, and the containermain bodies being sequentially transported by the transport means in thefilling equipment, filled with viscous material, and capped with lidmembers.

In this filling system, the container main bodies which have beenchanged by the transfer equipment to a vertical orientation are heldfrom the outside at the rigid reinforcing component by means of theclamper of the filling equipment and thus transferred, allowing thecontainer main bodies to be securely held. The container main bodies aresequentially moved along with a rotating table while the container mainbodies are held by the clamper to allow the viscous material to becharged therein and to allow the containers to be capped with lidmembers by means of the charging equipment and capping equipment,thereby allowing the charging and capping operations to be carried outmore efficiently and automatically.

The filling system is a filling system wherein the capping equipmentfurthermore comprises pressing means for pressing the drum body of thecontainer main body filled with the viscous material to cause thesurface of the viscous material to bulge.

In this filling system, the drum body of the container main body ispressed by the pressing means to cause the surface of the viscousmaterial to bulge, allowing the container main body to be capped with alid member while the apparent amount of the viscous material chargedtherein has been increased, and also allowing the lid member to befitted to the reinforcing component while virtually all the air in thecontainer main body has been evacuated.

More specifically, the high viscosity of the viscous material chargedinto the container main body results in a surface in the form of a peakwith the center swelling up. Thus, when the drum body of the containermain body is pressed to cause the surface of the viscous material inthis state to bulge, the surface of the viscous material bulges whilegenerally retaining a peaked shape during charging. In other words, thedrum body is pressed to increase the apparent amount of the viscousmaterial charged into the container main body.

When a lid member is fitted to the reinforcing component of thecontainer main body while the surface of the viscous material is thusbulging outward, the lid member first fits closely to the apex of thesurface of the viscous material, the tight fit between the surface ofthe viscous material and the lid member spreads outward as the apex ofthe surface of the viscous material is then flattened out, and the lidmember is then fitted to the reinforcing component as the drum body ofthe container main body returns to its original shape, resulting in theelimination of any gap between the surface of the viscous material andthe lid member, so that virtually all the air in the container main bodyis evacuated, and the reinforcing component is capped in an air-tightmanner.

The filling system is a filling system 16, wherein the drum body ispressed by the pressing means in the capping equipment to cause thesurface of the viscous material to temporarily bulge, the pressure onthe drum body is then released, and the lid member is fitted to cap thereinforcing component of the container main body as the drum bodyreturns to its original shape. With this type of structure, the drumbody of the container main body is allowed to naturally return to itsoriginal shape in conjunction with the action of the lid member beingfitted to the reinforcing component, and the viscous material is sealedinside the container main body with no air remaining.

The filling system is a filling system wherein the charging equipmentfurther comprises a viscous material feed tube having a lengthinsertable to at least the interior of the container main body, andlifting means for lifting the viscous material feed tube relative to thecontainer main body, wherein the viscous material feed tube is insertedby the lifting means into the interior of the container main body, andthe viscous material is charged into the container main body as theviscous material feed tube is pulled out of the container main body. Inthis case, the charging of the viscous material into the container mainbodies is synchronized so as to more effectively prevent air from beingmixed into the viscous material or air from being left between thecontainer main body and the viscous material.

The method for filling flexible containers with a viscous materialcomprises the steps of: charging a viscous material into a containermain body, the container main body comprising at least a drum bodyconsisting of a flexible film and an open end consisting of a rigidreinforcing component, the container main body also being heldvertically, with the opening on top; then pressing the drum body of thecontainer main body to cause the surface of the viscous material tobulge; and then fitting the lid member to the opening of the reinforcingcomponent of the container main body, and fixing the lid member in anair-tight manner to the reinforcing component.

In this filling method, the viscous material charged into the containermain body results in a surface in the form of a peak with the centerswelling up when the viscous material has been charged into thecontainer main body. When the drum body of the container main body ispressed to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge, thesurface of the viscous material bulges while generally retaining apeaked shape during charging. In other words, the drum body is pressedto increase the apparent amount of the viscous material charged into thecontainer main body.

Thus, when the lid member is fitted to the reinforcing component of thecontainer main body while the surface of the viscous material is thusbulging, the lid member first fits closely to the apex of the surface ofthe viscous material, the tight fit between the surface of the viscousmaterial and the lid member spreads outward as the apex of the surfaceof the viscous material is then flattened out, and the lid member isthen fitted to the reinforcing component as the drum body of thecontainer main body returns to its original shape, resulting in theelimination of any gap between the surface of the viscous material andthe lid member, so that virtually all the air in the container main bodyis evacuated, and the reinforcing component is capped in an air-tightmanner.

The filling method is a filling method wherein the drum body of thecontainer main body is temporarily pressed and then released, and thelid member is fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of thecontainer main body as the drum body returns to its original shape afterbeing released. With this structure, the drum body of the container mainbody is allowed to naturally return to its original shape in conjunctionwith the action of the lid member being fitted to the reinforcingcomponent, and the lid member is fitted to the opening of thereinforcing component without any air being left over, and is secured inan air-tight manner to the container main body.

The filling method is a filling method wherein, to charge the viscousmaterial into the container main body, a viscous material feed tube isfirst inserted into the interior of the container main body, and theviscous material is discharged from the viscous material feed tube tocharge the viscous material into the container main body as the viscousmaterial feed tube is moved in a direction away from the container mainbody. In this case, the charging of the viscous material into thecontainer main bodies is synchronized so as to more effectively preventair from being mixed into the viscous material or air from being leftbetween the container main body and the viscous material.

The filling method is a filling method wherein the lid member is fittedto the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body,and the lid member and reinforcing component are fixed in an air-tightmanner by means of at least one of fusion (melting), a sealing agent, agasket, or sealing tape. This structure allows an air-tight seal to becreated between the lid member and the reinforcing component, andprevents external air from penetrating into the slight gap between thetwo so as to prevent hardening, curing and deterioration in the qualityof the viscous material. For example, when the container is filled witha sealant consisting of a moisture-curing composition as the viscousmaterial, the above structure can ensure that no moist air penetratesinto the interior of the container main body, thereby preventing theviscous material from being hardened or cured by moist air.Specifically, the lid member can be secured in an air-tight manner tothe reinforcing component by securing the lid member to the reinforcingcomponent and then fusing (melting) the lid member and reinforcingcomponent together, either directly or using a separate member, by meansof heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, high frequency induction sealing orthe like, or by inserting a sealing agent or gasket in the fittingcomponents between the lid member and reinforcing component, or byfitting and securing the lid member to the reinforcing component andthen applying sealing tape between the container main body and lidmember, or by combining such methods.

The viscous material filling equipment comprises: support means wherebya container main body with at least a drum body consisting of a flexiblefilm and an open end consisting of a rigid reinforcing component isvertically held at the reinforcing component, with the opening on top;charging means for charging the viscous material into a vertically heldcontainer main body; pressing means for pressing the drum body of acontainer main body filled with a viscous material to cause the surfaceof the viscous material to bulge; lid member supply means for supplyinga lid member over the container main body in which the surface of theviscous material is bulging; and capping means for fitting the lidmember to the opening of the reinforcing component of the container mainbody and fixing the lid member in an air-tight manner to the reinforcingcomponent.

In this filling equipment, a rigid reinforcing component is held bymeans of the support means to vertically support the container mainbody, allowing the container main body to be held in a reliable manner.The drum body is pressed by the pressing means to cause the surface ofthe viscous material to bulge, and the lid member can be fitted to theopening of the reinforcing component of the container main body in thatstate, thereby effectively preventing air from being left over in thecontainer main body, and also allowing the lid member to be secured inan air-tight manner to the reinforcing component of the container mainbody to seal the viscous material inside the container main body whilepreventing the viscous material from leaking out of the container mainbody.

The viscous material filling equipment is filling equipment wherein thedrum body is temporarily pressed by the pressing means and thenreleased, and the container main body is capped with the lid member bythe capping means as the drum body returns to its original shape. Withthis type of structure, the drum body of the container main body isallowed to naturally return to its original shape in conjunction withthe action of the lid member being fitted to the opening of thereinforcing component, and the lid member is secured in an air-tightmanner to the reinforcing component of the container main body withoutleaving any air, so as to seal the viscous material inside the containermain body.

The viscous material filling equipment is filling equipment wherein thecharging means further comprises a viscous material feed tube having alength insertable into at least the interior of the container main body,and lifting means for lifting the viscous material feed tube relative tothe container main body, wherein the viscous material feed tube isinserted by the lifting means into the interior of the container mainbody, and the viscous material is charged into the container main bodyas the viscous material feed tube is pulled out of the container mainbody. In this case, air is effectively prevented from being mixed intothe viscous material or air is effectively prevented from being leftover between the container main body and the viscous material when theviscous material is charged into the container main body.

The container filled with a viscous material comprises: a container mainbody with at least the drum component consisting of a flexible film, andthe open end consisting of a rigid reinforcing component; a lid memberfixed in an air-tight manner to the reinforcing component of thecontainer main body; and a viscous material charged into the containermain body; wherein the drum body of the container main body is pressedto cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge after the viscousmaterial has been charged into the container main body, the lid memberis then fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of thecontainer main body, and the lid member is fixed in an air-tight mannerto the reinforcement component as the drum component returns to itsoriginal shape, allowing the viscous material to thus be charged intothe container main body without any air being left over.

In this filled container, the drum body of the container main body ismade of a flexible film, allowing the viscous material to be extruded ordischarged from the container main body as the drum body is squeezed,and also allows the container to be squeezed into a smaller size afteruse, thereby reducing waste volume.

Since, furthermore, the lid member is secured to the reinforcingcomponent which is integrated with the container main body, without anychange in the positional relationship between the lid member andreinforcing component, it is possible to ensure an air-tight sealbetween the two. The lid member is also fitted to the opening of thereinforcing component of the container main body while the drum body ofthe container main body is pressed to cause the viscous material tobulge, thereby effectively preventing air from being left over in thecontainer main body, and allowing the lid member to be secured in anair-tight manner to the reinforcing component to seal the viscousmaterial inside the container main body while preventing the viscousmaterial from leaking out of the container main body.

In the filled container the lid member is fixed in an air-tight mannerto the reinforcement component by means of at least one of fusion(melting), a sealing agent, a gasket, or sealing tape. This structureallows an air-tight seal to be created between the lid member andreinforcing component in order to prevent external air from penetratinginto the container main body, thereby effectively preventing hardening,curing and deterioration in the quality of the viscous material.Specifically, the lid member can be secured in an air-tight manner tothe reinforcing component by fitting and securing the lid member to thereinforcing component and then fusing (melting) the lid member andreinforcing component together, either directly or using a separatemember, by means of heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, high frequencyinduction sealing or the like, or by inserting a sealing agent or gasketin the fitting component between the lid member and reinforcingcomponent, or by fitting and securing the lid member to the reinforcingcomponent and then applying sealing tape between the container main bodyand lid member, or by combining such methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a container filled with a viscous material;

FIG. 2 is an exploded oblique view of a container filled with a viscousmaterial;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section of the main parts of a containerfilled with a viscous material;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a lid member;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross section of the main parts of another sealstructure based on fusion;

FIGS. 6(a) and (b) are vertical cross sections of the main parts ofanother seal structure featuring the use of a sealing agent;

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross section of the main parts of another sealstructure featuring the use of sealing tape;

FIG. 8 is a plan of the viscous material filling system;

FIG. 9 is an oblique view of a carrying box;

FIG. 10 is an oblique view of the main parts of a carrying box;

FIG. 11 is a vertical cross section of a carrying box;

FIG. 12 is a vertical cross section of the main parts of a carrying boxhaving another structure;

FIG. 13 is an elevation of the main parts of a conveying system;

FIG. 14 is a side view of transfer equipment;

FIG. 15 illustrates the operation of the transfer equipment;

FIG. 16 is a side view of a filling means;

FIG. 17 is an elevation of a filling means;

FIG. 18 is an illustration of the method for filling a container mainbody with a viscous material;

FIG. 19 is an illustration of the state just before the container mainbody begins to be capped with a lid member;

FIG. 20 is an illustration of the state midway through the process bywhich the container main body is capped with the lid member;

FIG. 21 is an illustration of the state midway through the process bywhich the container main body is capped with the lid member;

FIG. 22 is a schematic illustration of the present invention; and

FIG. 23 is a vertical cross section of a filled container in the priorart.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Examples of the present invention are described below with reference tothe drawings.

The structure of a container 1 filled with a viscous material isdescribed first.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, the container 1 filled with aviscous material comprises a container main body 2 in the form of acylindrical member, a lid member 3 secured in an air-tight manner to thecontainer main body 2, and a viscous material 4 such as constructionsealant or adhesive with which the interior of the container main body 2is filled.

As described thus, the container main body 2 is provided with a drumbody 10 consisting of a film material in the form of a flexible film,the upper end of the drum body 10 is integrally provided with areinforcing ring 11 as a rigid reinforcing component, the bottom end ofthe drum body 10 is integrally provided with a disc-shaped bottom platemember 12, an opening 13 is formed by means of the reinforcing ring 11in the upper end of the container main body 2, and the bottom end of thecontainer main body is closed off by the bottom plate member 12.

The film material forming the drum body 10 can consist of any materialthat is flexible enough to be squeezed into a smaller size, such assingle-layered or multi-layered film materials consisting of resin film,or multi-layered film materials comprising a metal foil such as aluminumfoil laminated between resin films. The present example features the useof a triple-layered structure comprising aluminum foil laminated betweentwo resin films, this film material being rolled into a mandrel and inthat state heat sealed at the overlapping edges. Polyethylene,polyester, polypropylene, nylon, and the like can be used as materialfor the resin film. Although the internal and external resin films canbe made of the same material, since the conditions of use are differenton the inside and outside, the use of resin films consisting of amaterial suited to such conditions of use is preferred. For example,when the container main body 2 is filled with a construction sealant asthe viscous material 4, the resin film for the inside surface ispreferably a film of polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like which isnot degraded or the like by contact with the sealant, whereas the resinfilm for the outside surface is preferably a film of polyester, nylon,or the like in view of the importance of strength and gas barrierproperties.

An upwardly extending ring-shaped protrusion 12 a is formed at the outerperiphery of the bottom plate member 12, the bottom end of the drum body10 is fitted in an air-tight manner to the inner peripheral surface ofthe protrusion 12 a, and the bottom end of the drum body 10 is thusclosed off by the bottom plate member 12.

The upper end of the drum body 10 overlaps the inner peripheral surfaceof the reinforcing ring 11 up to a location slightly under the upper endof the reinforcing ring 11 and is thus fitted in an air-tight manner. Anupwardly protruding fitting protrusion 14 is formed in the shape of aring at the upper end of the reinforcing ring 11, and a fitting groove15 is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the fitting protrusion14.

The reinforcing ring 11 and bottom plate member 12 facing the drum body10 may be secured by heat sealing or the like, or the drum body 10 maybe mounted in an injection molder to allow the reinforcing ring 11 andbottom plate member 12 to be integrally formed relative to the drum body10. The drum body 10 can also be integrally molded with the reinforcingring 11 and/or bottom plate member 12 by blow molding.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the lid member 3 comprises theunitary formation of a sliding cylinder 20 inserted into the reinforcingring 11, a lid main member 21 extending inward from the bottom end ofthe sliding cylinder 20 to close off the opening 13 of the containermain body 2, and a rim 22 outwardly extending from the upper end of thesliding cylinder 20. And the lid member comprises a ring-shaped groove23 that opens downward and fits around the fitting protrusion 14 of thereinforcing ring 11 is formed in the rim 22, and a ring-shapedprotrusion 24 that protrudes into the ring-shaped groove 23 and locksinto the fitting groove 15 of the reinforcing ring 11 is also formed.

The sliding cylinder 20 of the lid member 3 is inserted into thereinforcing ring 11, the fitting protrusion 14 of the reinforcing ring11 is fitted to the ring-shaped groove 23 of the lid member 3, theprotrusion 24 of the lid member 3 is locked into the fitting groove 15of the reinforcing ring 11, and the outer periphery of the rim 22 issecured in an airtight manner to the reinforcing ring 11. Lubricatingoil or the like may be applied beforehand to the outer surface of thesliding cylinder 20 to allow the sliding cylinder 20 to be more smoothlyinserted into the reinforcing ring 11.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, to improve the reliability of theair-tightness between the reinforcing ring 11 and the lid member 3, athin-walled, cylindrical fused component 22 a extending downward alongthe outer periphery of the reinforcing ring 11 may be formed on the rim22, and the fused part 22 a may be fused to the reinforcing ring 11. Asealing agent consisting of a thermoplastic resin material may also bedisposed along the fitting ends between the reinforcing ring 11 and thelid member 3, and the sealing agent may be fused to the reinforcing ring11 and the lid member 3. Heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, highfrequency induction sealing, or the like can be suitable for use as thefusion method.

As an alternative to fusion, a sealing agent such as an adhesive orself-adhesive may be used to secure the reinforcing ring 11 and the lidmember 3 in an air-tight manner to the inside of the ring-shaped groove23 of the lid member 3 and/or the fitting protrusion 14 of thereinforcing ring 11, and in cases where the viscous material 4 is anadhesive, selfadhesive, or the like, the viscous material 4 can becharged in such a way as to fill in the space between the fittingprotrusion 14 of the reinforcing ring 11 and the ring-shaped groove 23of the lid member 3. As shown in FIG. 6(a), when the space between thereinforcing ring 11 and the lid member 3 is sealed by a sealing agentsuch as an adhesive, self-adhesive, or the viscous material 4, it isdesirable to form a ring-shaped space 5 between the upper end of thereinforcing ring 11 and the interior end of the ring-shaped groove 23,and to then fill the ring-shaped space 5 with a sealing agent while theprotrusion 24 of the lid member 3 is locked into the fitting groove 15of the reinforcing ring 11 because the sealing agent can be preventedfrom leaking out through the gap between the reinforcing ring 11 and thelid member 3 while ensuring adequate sealing performance. In addition,as illustrated in FIG. 6(b), it is also possible to form a ring-shapedtapering component 11a in the upper end of the reinforcing ring 11 andto form a ring-shaped space 6 in the ring-shaped groove 23, which inthis case is desirable because the lid member 3 is easier to positionrelative to the reinforcing ring 11. Polyurethane, silicone, modifiedsilicone, modified polysulfide, acrylic, butyl rubber, SBR, fluorine,acrylic silicone, and the like are suitable for use as sealing agents. Agasket such as a sealing ring or packing may also be mounted in thefitting component between the reinforcing ring 11 and the lid member 3to improve the seal. Although a rubber gasket may be used for thegasket, a forming in place gasket may also be used. In this case, athermoplastic hot melt composition can be applied in a heated moltenstate as the forming in place gasket in the ring-shaped groove 23, thelid member 3 can be fitted to the reinforcing ring 11, and thethermoplastic hot melt composition can be cooled and solidified orfoamed to provide a seal.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 7, sealing tape 7 may be appliedbetween the lid member 3 and the reinforcing ring 11 to create anair-tight seal in the fitting component between the two parts. A heatseal or sealing agent or sealing tape 7 may also be combined to createan air-tight seal in the fitting component between the lid member 3 andthe reinforcing ring 11.

A tapered component 25 with a diameter that decreases in the downwarddirection is formed on the bottom outer peripheral surface of thesliding cylinder 20 of the lid member 3. Formed at intervals in theperipheral direction midway in the sliding cylinder 20 are gas ventinggrooves 26, the bottom ends of which open inside the container main body2, and the upper ends of which extend to the vicinity of the rim 22.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a discharge hole 27 is formed in the center ofthe lid main member 21, and a downwardly extending cylinder 28 isintegrally formed with the discharge hole 27. Virgin film 29 closing offthe discharge hole 27 is attached to the bottom face of the lid mainmember 21, the virgin film 29 is cut at the time of use to allow anozzle not shown in the figure to be attached to the cylinder 28, andthe viscous material is discharged through the nozzle.

The system 30 for filling container main bodies 2 with viscous material4 is described below.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the filling system 30 comprises a conveyingsystem 33 whereby container main bodies 2 produced by containerproducing equipment 31 are conveyed using a carrying box 32, and fillingequipment 34 for filling the conveyed container main bodies 2 with aviscous material 4.

As described thus, the front end of the container producing equipment 31in the conveying system 33 is provided with a first chain conveyor 35extending to the right. A plurality of units (4 units in the presentexample) of container main bodies 2 produced by the container producingequipment 31 are moved reciprocally in the longitudinal direction, withthe open ends 13 facing forward, by means of moving equipment not shownin the figure, on the first chain conveyor 35. The right side of thefirst chain conveyor 35 is provided with packing equipment 36 forpacking the container main bodies 2 into the carrying box 32, and asecond chain conveyor 37 extending into the packing equipment 36 isprovided under the down stream end of the first chain conveyor 35. Thecontainer main bodies 2 conveyed to the downstream end of the firstchain conveyor 35 are ejected backward by means of ejection equipment 38and sequentially moved on to the second chain conveyor 37.

A stocker 39 for stocking the carrying box 32 is provided behind thepacking equipment 36, and the carrying boxes 32 are supplied behind thesecond chain conveyor 37 by means of conveying equipment 42 consistingof roller conveyors 40, 41, etc.

As illustrated in FIGS. 9 through 11, the carrying box 32 comprises abox main body 43 and dividing plates 44 arranged in the form of alattice inside the box main body 44. The interior of the box main body43 is divided by the dividing plates 44 into a plurality of open-ended,longitudinally extending housing components 45. The housing components45 accommodate the container main bodies 2 in the form of cylindricalmembers in such a way that they can be placed therein and taken out,with a plurality of longitudinal and lateral columns and rows (8 columnsand 8 rows in the figures) formed therein. V-shaped notches with thenotch width narrowing in the depthwise direction are formed in theregion including the approximate center in at least the widthwisedirection of the open ends of the four dividing plates forming thehousing components 45.

When the angle θ of the apex 46 a of the notch 46 is too little, thenotch will be so deep that the strength of the dividing plates 44 willbe compromised, whereas too great an angle does not allow the insertedend of the container main bodies 2 to be smoothly guided therein, so theangle must be properly set in light of these considerations. A notch 46constructed with the notch width narrowing in the depthwise directionallows a variety of shapes to be used, such as a notch 46A that isparabolically notched as shown in FIG. 12(a) or a notch 46B with aninwardly swelling midsection as shown in FIG. 12(b).

The depth D of the housing component 45 is shallower than the length ofthe container main body 2. When the drum body of the container main body2 is a flexible film, however, the depth is preferably longer than thelength of the container main body 2 because of potential damage to thatpart during transport.

As described thus, the packing equipment 36 is such that, as illustratedin FIGS. 8 and 13, an ejector means 48 whereby 8 container main bodies 2positioned on the second conveyor 37 are simultaneously ejected backwardby means of 8 ejection rods 47 is provided in front of the second chainconveyor 37, a lifting means 49 for lifting the carrying box 32 isprovided behind the second chain conveyor 37, and the container mainbodies 2 are sequentially packed 8 at a time from the housing components45 at the top end of the carrying box 32 by means of the ejector means48 and lifting means 49. Container main bodies 2 thus packed in all thehousing components 45 are conveyed by the roller conveyor 50 to thefilling equipment 34. The number of ejection rods 47 has been set to 8according to the number of housing components 45 in the lattice of thecarrying box 32, but the number may also be more than 8. The 8 ejectionrods 47 are preferably used to eject container main bodiessimultaneously because the packing equipment 36 can thus be given asimpler structure, but the containers may also be ejected at varyingtimes.

Because a carrying box 32 with notches 46 is used in the packingequipment 36, when the container main bodies 2 are ejected backward bythe ejector means 48 and thus packed into the housing components 45 ofthe carrying box 32, the container main bodies come into contact withthe notches 46, despite slight displacement in the position of the rearend of the container main bodies 2, and are thus guided toward thecenter of the housing components 45 and smoothly accommodated in thehousing components 45, so that even container main bodies 2 having drumbodies 10 made of flexible films can be smoothly accommodated in thehousing components 45.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, transfer equipment 51 that takes out thecontainer main bodies 2 one at a time from the carrying box 32 andtransfers them while vertically oriented to the filling equipment 34 isprovided at the downstream end of the roller conveyor 50.

The transfer equipment 51 comprises a position changing means 52disposed to the right of the roller conveyor 50, and a transfer means 53disposed between the filling equipment 34 and the position changingmeans 52.

The transfer means 53 is described with reference to FIGS. 8, 14, and15. A support rod 54 is provided behind the filling equipment 34, andthe support rod 54 is provided with a guide rod 55 extending in thereciprocal direction. The guide rod 55 is provided with a movable base56 that is moved to and fro by means of a drive means not shown in thefigure. The movable base 56 is provided with an arm member 57 that canbe rotated by drive means not shown in the figure to the horizontalposition illustrated in FIG. 14 and the vertical position illustrated inFIG. 15. The distal end of the arm member 57 is provided with anexpanding head 58 that can open out wider than the inside diameter ofthe container main bodies 2 to hold the container main bodies 2 from theinside. The expanding head 58 is a balloon type that is expanded andcontracted by air pressure. The expanding head 58 is designed so as tobe movable in the longitudinal direction to the arm member 57 by meansof expanding and contracting means not shown in the figure.

The position changing means 52 sequentially moves the carrying box 32vertically and laterally so that the prescribed housing components 45 ofthe carrying box 32 face the expanding head 58 which is held inhorizontal orientation. While the carrying box 32 is held between alaterally extending set of upper and lower belts 60 a and 60 b, theupper and lower belts 60 a and 60 b are synchronized by an electricmotor and rotated in the reverse direction, allowing the carrying box 32to be moved laterally. While the carrying box 32 is held between thebelts 60 a and 60 b, it can be moved vertically by the electric motoralong the guide rail 62 vertically extending before the foundation base61.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, the arm member 57 is held horizontally in thetransfer equipment 51, the arm member 57 is retracted along with themovable base 56 while the prescribed housing components 45 of thecarrying box 32 face toward the expanding head 58 by means of theposition changing means 52, the expanding head 58 is inserted into thereinforcing ring 11 of the container main body 2 by means of theexpanding and contracting means, the expanding head 58 is then expandedto hold the container main body 2, the arm member 57 is moved forwardalong with the movable base 56 in this state, and the container mainbodies 2 are thus taken out of the housing components 45 of the carryingbox 32. Then, as shown in FIG. 15, the container main body 2 is rotatedinto vertical orientation along with the arm member 57, the outerperiphery of the reinforcing ring 11 is held by the holding clamps 66 ofthe damper 65 of the filling equipment 34 to transfer the container mainbody 2 to the filling equipment 34, the expanding head 58 is thencontracted, in this contracted state the expanding head 58 is movedupward by the expanding and contracting means, the expanding head 58 isdetached from the reinforcing ring 11, and the next container main body2 is then transferred by the same means as above.

In this example, the conveyor system 33 conveyed the container mainbodies while accommodating them horizontally using a carrying box 32,but the conveying system can also convey the container main bodies 2while accommodating them vertically.

The filling equipment 34 is described below. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 15through 17, a rotating table 67 is provided. 8 support means 68 forvertically supporting the container main bodies 2 transferred from thetransfer equipment 51 are provided at fixed intervals in the peripheraldirection, at 45° in the peripheral direction in the figure. The supportmeans 68 comprises a damper 65 having a pair of holding clamps 66 forholding the reinforcing ring 11 of the container main body 2, and aguide rod 69 for moveably guiding the clamper 65 up and down. More than8 support means 68 may be provided.

Charging equipment not shown in the figure for charging the viscousmaterial 4 into the container main body 2 is provided to the right ofthe rotating table 67. Capping equipment 70 f or capping the lid member3 onto the container main body 2 filled with the viscous material 4 isprovided in front of the rotating t able 67. Fusion equipment not shownin the figure for fusing the lid member 3 to the reinforcing ring 11 isprovided to the left of the rotating table 67. The rotating table 67 ismoved at a pitch of 45° increments to charge the viscous material 4 intothe container main bodies 2, the container is capped with the lid member3, and the lid member 3 is fused to the reinforcing ring 11. Thecontainers 1 filled with the viscous material 4 are conveyed to the leftof the rotating table 67.

Although the charging equipment is not shown in the figure, it comprisesa viscous material feed tube 71 (see FIG. 18(a)) disposed above thecontainer main bodies 2 moved by the rotating table 67, and a liftingmeans for lifting the container main bodies along the guiding rod 69together with the damper 65. The container main bodies 2 are lifted bythe lifting means, and the container main bodies 2 are lowered as theviscous material 4 is discharged from the viscous material feed tube 71while the viscous material feed tube is inserted into the interior ofthe container main bodies 2, thus allowing the viscous material 4 to becharged into the container main bodies 2 without any air bubbles beingmixed therein. When the lifting means is designed to allow the viscousmaterial feed tube 71 to be lifted relative to the container main bodies2, the container main bodies 2 may be secured, and the viscous materialfeed tube 71 may be lifted, allowing both the viscous material feed tube71 and container main bodies 2 to be lifted.

The capping equipment 70 is described below. A holding component 73 forindividually holding lid members 3 sequentially supplied from a lidmember supplying means 72 is provided above the damper 65. A dischargehole 74 (see FIG. 19) of somewhat smaller diameter than the lid member 3is formed in the holding component 73. The upper inner surface of thedischarge hole 74 is tapered, narrowing in diameter in the downwarddirection.

A capping means 75 for capping the reinforcing ring 11 of the containermain body 2 under the discharge hole 74 with the lid member 3 held bythe holding component 73 is provided above the holding component 73. Thelid member 3 is supplied by the lid member supply means 72 and is cappedonto the reinforcing ring 11 of the container main body 2 by thepressing head 75 a of the capping means 75.

A pair of pressing levers 76 for pressing the middle of the drum body 10of the container main body 2 from the sides to cause the surface of theviscous material 4 inside the container main body 2 to bulge isrotatably provided under the container main body 2. The pressing levers76 are driven by an air cylinder 77 so as to open and close between theopen position illustrated by the solid line in FIG. 17 and the pressedposition indicated by the imaginary line. The pressing levers 76 shouldallow at least a part of the drum body 10 midway in the heightwisedirection to be pressed, so that the drum body 10 is pressed in two ormore locations, and possibly around the entire periphery. Although thelocations where the drum body is pressed may be any position in theheightwise direction, the drum body is preferably pressed in the centerfor ease of operations. When a plurality of pressing levers 76 areprovided, the locations in which the drum body is pressed may be offsetin the heightwise direction. Symbol 78 is a support component thatsupports the holding clamps 66 of the damper 65 from below to preventexcess weight from being exerted on the damper during capping.

Heat sealing equipment, ultrasonic sealing equipment, high frequencyinduction sealing equipment or the like with a well known structure canbe used as the fusion equipment. For example, when heat sealingequipment is used, a heating head may be held against the outerperiphery of the lid member 3 to thermally fuse the lid member 3 to theentire periphery of the reinforcing ring 11 of the container main body 2so as to fix the two together in an air-tight manner. When the lidmember 3 and the reinforcing ring 11 are sealed in an air tight mannerusing sealing tape 7, means for applying sealing tape 7 between the lidmember 3 and the reinforcing ring 11 may be used as an alternative tothe fusion equipment. When the lid member 3 and reinforcing ring 11 arefixed in an air-tight manner using an adhesive, self-adhesive, orgasket, means are provided for applying a sealing means such as anadhesive or self-adhesive to the fitting component 14 of the reinforcingring 11 and/or the ring-shaped groove 23 of the lid member 3 before thecontainer main body 2 is capped with the lid member 3, or means areprovided for the hot melt application of a thermoplastic hot meltcomposition, or means are provided for mounting a ring-shaped gasket.When the container is filled with an adhesive or self-adhesive as theviscous material 4, the pressure exerted on the drum body 10 by thepressing levers 76 can be adjusted so that some of the viscous material4 charged into the container main body 2 is taken into the fittingcomponent between the lid member 3 and the reinforcing ring 11.

The operation of the filling equipment 34 is described below while themethod for filling the container main body 2 with the viscous material 4is described.

A container main body 2 which has been transferred from the transferequipment 51 to the damper 66 of the filling equipment 34 is moved whilerotated at a 90° angle along with the rotating table 67 to the chargingequipment. The container main body 2 is lifted along with the damper 65by the charging equipment as shown in FIGS. 18(a) and (b) to insert theviscous material feed tube 71 into the interior of the container mainbody 2, and the container main body 2 is lowered in alignment with thedamper 65 as the viscous material 4 is charged from the viscous materialfeed tube 71 so that only the necessary amount of the viscous material 4is charged into the container main body 2 without any air bubbles beingmixed into the viscous material 4. While the viscous material 4 is inthis state, the surface of the viscous material 4 forms a peak with thecenter swelling up because of the viscous material 4.

The container main body 2 filled with the viscous material 4 is thenmoved while rotated 90° along with the rotating table 67 to the cappingequipment 70. Then, as shown in FIGS. 18(c) and 19, the middle of thedrum body 10 of the container main body 2 is pressed by the pressinglevers 76 of the capping equipment 70 to cause the surface of theviscous material 4 to bulge, thus increasing the apparent amount ofviscous material 4 charged therein. At this time, the surface of theviscous material 4 bulges in generally the same peaked shape thatresults from charging.

The pressure by the pressing levers 76 is then released, the lid member3 held by the holding component 73 is extended downward by the cappingmeans 75, and the sliding cylinder 20 of the lid member 3 is insertedinto the reinforcing ring 11 of the container main body 2 as shown inFIG. 18(d) as the drum body 10 returns to its original shape, but atthis time the lid member 3 is in intimate contact with the apex of thesurface of the viscous material 4, as shown in FIG. 20, and the airbetween the lid member 3 and the viscous material 4 is evacuated sincethe lid member is in intimate contact with the surface of the viscousmaterial 4 as the apex of the surface of the viscous material isflattened out, that is, as the intimate contact between the surface andthe lid member 3 widens outward. When the lid member 3 begins to befitted into the reinforcing ring 11, virtually all the air is evacuatedthrough a gas venting groove 26, and the lid member 3 is fitted to thereinforcing ring 11 as shown in FIG. 21. Even when the pressure on thedrum body 10 by the pressing lever 76 is released, since the drum body10 is a flexible film, the lid member 3 may be fitted to cap thecontainer with greater force than the pressing force of the pressinglever 76.

At this time, the lid member 3 is pressed into the reinforcing ring 11by the capping means 75, the fitting protrusion 14 of the reinforcingring 11 is fitted to the ring-shaped groove 23 of the lid member 3 asshown in FIG. 3, and the protrusion 24 of the lid member 3 is fitted tothe fitting groove 15 of the reinforcing ring 11.

After the container has been capped with the lid member 3, the outerperiphery of the lid member 3 is fused to the reinforcing ring 11 to fixthe lid member 3 to the reinforcing ring 11 in an air-tight manner. Whenthe lid member 3 and reinforcing ring 11 are fixed in an air tightmanner using a sealing agent such as an adhesive or self-adhesive, thesealing agent is applied in advance to the fitting protrusion 14 of thereinforcing ring 11 and/or ring-shaped groove 23 of the lid member 3.When the lid member 3 and reinforcing ring 11 are fixed in an air tightmanner by means of the viscous material 4, the pressure on the drum body10 is increased, so that the viscous material 4 is taken into thefitting components between the lid member 3 and reinforcing ring 11.When the components are sealed by means of sealing tape 7, the sealingtape 7 is applied between the lid member 3 and reinforcing ring 11 bymeans of a sealing tape 7 dispenser means provided as an alternative toa fusion means.

The filled container 1, comprising a container main body 2 that has beenfilled with a viscous material 4 and capped in this manner, iseffectively prevented from having any air left over around the lidmember 3, and the viscous material 4 therein is effectively preventedfrom deteriorating, hardening or curing as a result of left over air.Since, furthermore, the lid member 3 and reinforcing ring 11 can besealed in an air-tight manner by fusion, a sealing agent, a gasket,sealing tape 7, or a combination thereof, the viscous material 4 can beeffectively prevented from hardening or curing and the quality can beprevented from deteriorating as a result of external air penetratingthrough the slight gap between the lid member 3 and reinforcing ring 11.For example, even when the container is filled with a sealant consistingof a moisture-curing composition as the viscous material 4, the abovestructure can ensure that no moist air penetrates into the interior ofthe container main body, thereby preventing the viscous material frombeing cured by moist air.

In this example, the invention was applied to a system for fillingcontainer main bodies 2 with a viscous material 4 such as constructionsealant or adhesives, but the invention is applicable to filling systemsfor viscous materials other than that used in construction, such asmayonnaise, jams, or other food products, provided that the material isused to fill cylindrical containers. The container main body can also beformed in a shape other than a cylindrical shape, provided that the drumbody is made of a flexible film. Additionally, the structure of thefilling system itself may vary, provided that the structure allows thedrum body to be pressed in order to cause the surface of the viscousmaterial the bulge during capping.

According to the filling system of the invention, a viscous material ischarged by the charging means into the container main body, the drumbody of the container main body is then pressed by the pressing means tocause the surface of the viscous material to bulge, and the opening ofthe reinforcing component of the container main body is capped with alid member by the capping means to allow the reinforcing component to becapped with the lid member in an air tight manner, thereby preventingair from being left over inside the container main body, as well aspreventing the viscous material charged into the container main bodyfrom hardening, curing or undergoing deterioration in quality.

When the container conveying means further comprises a carrying box, thecontainer main bodies can be conveyed while temporarily accommodated inthe carrying box, thereby effectively preventing the container mainbodies from being damaged during transport. It is thus possible toconvey container main bodies, even those with a drum body made of aflexible film, while effectively preventing their deformation or thelike during transport.

The container main bodies can be smoothly packed in the housingcomponents of the carrying box when notches having a notch widthnarrowing in the depthwise direction are formed in the region includinggenerally the center in at least the widthwise direction of the end onthe open side of the dividing plates forming the housing components ofthe carrying box.

When the housing components are formed in a plurality of columns androws in the carrying box the container main bodies are packed in theplurality of housing components in each column and row of the carryingbox, or container main bodies which have been placed in a plurality ofhousing components in each row or column of the carrying box can besimultaneously taken out, thereby allowing the container main bodies tobe transferred more efficiently with the carrying box.

When the lid member is fitted to the opening of the reinforcingcomponent of the container main body as the drum body is allowed toreturn to its original shape after the drum body of the container mainbody has been temporarily pressed and then released by a capping means,the drum body of the container main body can be allowed to naturallyreturn to its original shape in conjunction with the action of the lidmember being fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of thecontainer main body, so that the lid member is fitted to the openingwithout leaving any air, and the container main body is capped in anair-tight manner.

When, in order to allow the viscous material to be charged into thecontainer main body by the charging means, a viscous material feed tubeis first inserted into the interior of the container main body, and theviscous material is discharged from the viscous material feed tube tocharge the viscous material into the container main body as the viscousmaterial feed tube is moved in a direction away from the container mainbody, air is effectively prevented from being mixed into the viscousmaterial and is prevented from being left over between the containermain body and the viscous material.

The system for conveying cylindrical members allows the cylindricalmembers to be effectively prevented from becoming damaged duringtransport because the cylindrical members serving as the container mainbodies are conveyed while temporarily accommodated in the carrying box.It is thus possible to effectively prevent damage, deformation, and thelike during transport, even when the drum body of the cylindricalmembers is made of a flexible film.

When the notched component of the dividing plates is formed at the openend of the dividing plates forming the housing components, the end ofthe cylindrical member is guided at the inserted end into the notch, andthe cylindrical member is smoothly accommodated in the housingcomponent, even when the axis of the cylindrical member is slightlyoffset relative to the center of the housing components when thecylindrical members are being packed, thereby preventing theinconvenience of damage to the cylindrical members while also affordinggreater operating efficiency.

Packing efficiency can be improved when housing components are formed ina plurality of columns and rows in the carrying box, and the cylindricalmembers are packed in the plurality of housing components in each columnand row of the carrying box as the carrying box is moved a column or rowat a time by the packing equipment.

The conveyance and transfer of cylindrical members can be automated byproviding transfer equipment for taking the cylindrical members out ofthe carrying box and transferring them.

When the transfer equipment is provided with an expanding head, thecylindrical members can be held from the inside by the expanding headand transferred to the next process, thereby minimizing the positionaldisplacement of the cylindrical members during transfer. The cylindricalmembers can be reliably held and transferred when the expanding head isformed in the shape of a cylindrical member, even when the cylindricalmember is made of a flexible film.

When the cylindrical members are taken out of the housing components andtransferred while vertically oriented by the transfer equipment, theorientation of the cylindrical members can be changed to a more easilymanipulated orientation to more efficiently carry out various operationssuch as processing, filling the containers with viscous material, etc.Specifically, the viscous material can be charged into container mainbodies in the form of cylindrical members, and the container main bodiescan be supplied to the filling equipment to be capped.

According to the viscous material filling system of the invention, thedrum body of the container main body can be made of a flexible film, yetthe container main bodies can be packed into the housing components ofthe carrying box and conveyed, thereby preventing the inconvenience ofdamage or deformation of the drum body of the container main body duringtransport. It is thus possible to automate the conveyance of thecontainer main bodies as well as the series of operations involving thecharging of the viscous material into the container main bodies andcapping the containers with lid members, and to more efficiently producecontainer main bodies filled with a viscous material.

According to the viscous material filling system, the container mainbodies are packed in the housing components of the carrying box andconveyed, making it possible to prevent the inconvenience of the drumbody of the container main bodies becoming damaged or deformed duringtransport, as well as automating the conveyance of the container mainbodies as well as the series of operations involving the charging of theviscous material into the container main bodies and capping thecontainers with lid members, and more efficiently producing containersfilled with a viscous material. In addition, the container main bodiesconveyed by the carrying box are transferred, while vertically oriented,to the filling equipment by the transfer equipment of the conveyingsystem, making it possible for the viscous material to be charged by thefilling equipment into the container main bodies in the verticalorientation in which they are transferred, allowing the container mainbody to be capped with lid members, and resulting in the smoothertransfer of the container main bodies. The container main bodies can betransferred by the transfer equipment while held from the inside of thecontainer main bodies, making it possible to prevent inconveniences suchas deformation of, or damage to, the drum body of the container bodyduring transport.

When the filling equipment is provided with a moving means having arotating table and support means, the container main bodies which havebeen changed by the transfer equipment to a vertical orientation areheld at the rigid reinforcing component by means of the damper and thustransferred to the filling equipment, allowing the container main bodiesto be smoothly transferred and the transferred container main bodies tobe held with greater precision by the support means of the fillingequipment. The container main bodies are moved along with a rotatingtable, they are filled with viscous material by the charging equipmentwhile held sequentially by the clamper, and they are capped with lidmembers by the capping equipment, thereby allowing the viscous materialcharging and lid member capping operations of the container main bodiesto be carried out more efficiently.

When the capping equipment is provided with a pressing means and thecontainers are capped with lid members while the surface of the viscousmaterial is bulging, the lid member can be secured in an air tightmanner to the reinforcing component without any air left over in thecontainer main body and without any of the viscous material leaking tothe outside.

When the openings of the container main bodies are capped with the lidmembers as the drum bodies are allowed to return to their original shapeafter the drum body has been temporarily pressed by the pressing meansand released, the drum body can be pressed with simple control whilepreventing any air from being left inside the container main bodies.

When the charging equipment comprises a viscous material feed tube and alifting means, it is possible to effectively prevent air from beingmixed into the viscous material and air from being left over between thecontainer main body and the viscous material when the viscous materialis charged into the container main bodies.

According to the viscous material filling method, the viscous materialis charged into the container main bodies, the drum body of thecontainer main body is then pressed to cause the surface of the viscousmaterial to bulge, the lid member is then fitted to the opening of thereinforcing component of the container main body, and the lid member issecured in an air tight manner to the reinforcing component, therebypreventing air from being left over inside the container main body,while also preventing the viscous material charged into the containermain body from hardening, curing or the quality from deteriorating.

When a lid member is fitted to the opening of the reinforcing componentof a container main body while the drum body is allowed to return to itsoriginal shape after the drum body of the container main body has beentemporarily pressed and then released, the drum body of the containermain body can be allowed to return to its original shape naturally inconjunction with the action of the lid member being fitted to thereinforcing component.

It is also possible to effectively prevent air from being mixed into theviscous material and to prevent air from being left over between thecontainer main body and the viscous material while the viscous materialis charged in when the viscous material feed tube is first inserted intothe interior of the container main body and the viscous material isdischarged from the viscous material feed tube to charge the viscousmaterial as the viscous material feed tube is moved in a direction awayfrom the container main body in order to charge the viscous materialinto the container main body.

When the lid member is fitted to the opening of the reinforcingcomponent of the container main body, and the lid member and thereinforcing component are then secured in an air tight manner by meansof at least one of fusion (melting), a sealing agent, a gasket, orsealing tape, it is possible to create an air-tight seal between the lidmember and the reinforcing component, to prevent air from penetratingthrough the slight gap between the two, and to prevent the viscousmaterial from hardening, curing or the quality from deteriorating.

According to the viscous material filling equipment of the invention, arigid reinforcing component is held by means of the support means tovertically support the container main body, allowing the container mainbody to be held in a reliable manner. The drum body is pressed by thepressing means to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge,and the lid member can be fitted to the opening of the reinforcingcomponent of the container main body in that state, thereby effectivelypreventing air from being left over in the container main body and alsoallowing the lid member to be secured in an air-tight manner to thereinforcing component of the container main body to seal the viscousmaterial inside the container main body while preventing the viscousmaterial from leaking out of the container main body.

When the drum body is temporarily pressed by the pressing means and thenreleased, and the container main body is capped with the lid member bythe capping means as the drum body returns to its original shape, thedrum body of the container main body is allowed to naturally return toits original shape in conjunction with the action of the lid memberbeing fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component, so as to sealthe viscous material inside the container main body without any airbeing left over.

When the charging means further comprises a viscous material feed tubehaving a length insertable into at least the interior of the containermain body, and lifting means for lifting the viscous material feed tuberelative to the container main body, air is effectively prevented frombeing mixed into the viscous materials or air is effectively preventedfrom being left over between the container main body and the viscousmaterial as the viscous material is charged into the container main bodywhen the viscous material feed tube is inserted into the container mainbody by the lifting means and the viscous material is then charged intothe container main body as the viscous material feed tube is taken outof the container main body.

According to the container filled with a viscous material, the drum bodyof the container main body is made of a flexible film, so that theviscous material is extruded and discharged from the container main bodyas the drum body is squeezed, and the used filling container can besqueezed into a smaller size, thereby reducing the volume of waste.

Since the lid member is also secured to the reinforcing componentintegrally provided with the container main body, without anydisplacement in the positional relationship between the lid member andreinforcing component, an air-tight seal can be created between the two.Furthermore, the drum body of the container main body can be pressed tocause the viscous material to bulge, and the lid member can be fitted tothe opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body inthat state, effectively preventing air from being left inside thecontainer main body, and also allowing the viscous material to be sealedinside the container main body while preventing the viscous materialfrom leaking out of the container main body.

When the lid member is fixed by means of at least one of fusion, asealing agent, a gasket, or sealing tape to the reinforcing component,an air-tight seal can be created between the lid member and thereinforcing ring, thereby effectively preventing the viscous materialfrom hardening, curing or the quality from deteriorating as a result ofoutside air penetrating into the container main body.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for filling flexible containers having amain body and an opening defined by a reinforcing component with aviscous material, comprising: container conveying means for conveying acontainer main body of which at least the drum body thereof is made of aflexible film; charging means for charging a viscous material into saidcontainer main body; pressing means for pressing the drum body of thecontainer main body to cause an exposed surface of the viscous materialto bulge substantially conically; and capping means operative to cap anopening in the reinforcing component of the container main body with alid member by engaging an apex of the bulged surface of the viscousmaterial and thereby flattening the top of the bulged surface of theviscous material by contact with the bottom surface of the lid memberupon capping.
 2. A system for filling flexible containers with a viscousmaterial according to claim 1, wherein said container conveying meanscomprises a carrying box for holding and conveying a plurality ofcontainer main bodies, an interior of said carrying box being divided,by means of dividing plates arranged in the a form of a lattice, into aplurality of housing components with open fronts allowing the containermain bodies to be placed in, and removed from, the housing components.3. A system for filling flexible containers with a viscous materialaccording to claim 2, wherein the housing components are formed in aplurality of rows and columns in the carrying box.
 4. A system forfilling flexible containers with a viscous material according to any ofclaim 1 or 2 wherein the drum body of the container main body istemporarily pressed and then released by the capping means, and the lidmember is fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of thecontainer main body as the drum body returns to its original shape afterbeing released.
 5. A system for filling flexible containers with aviscous material according to any of claim 1 or 2, wherein in order toallow the viscous material to be charged into the container main body bythe charging means, a viscous material feed tube is first inserted intothe interior of the container main body, and the viscous material isdischarged from the viscous material feed tube to charge the viscousmaterial into the container main body as the viscous material feed tubeis moved in a direction away from the container main body.
 6. A methodfor filling flexible containers with a viscous material, comprising thestep of: charging a viscous material into a container main body, saidcontainer main body comprising at least a drum body consisting of aflexible film and an open end consisting of a rigid reinforcingcomponent, said container main body also being held vertically, with theopening on top; then pressing the drum body of the container main bodyto cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge conically withinthe container opening; and then fitting the lid member to the opening ofthe reinforcing component of the container main body in engagement withthe bulged material surface to flatten the surface, and fixing the lidmember in an air-tight manner to the reinforcing component.
 7. A methodfor filling flexible containers with a viscous material according toclaim 6, wherein the drum body of the container main body is temporarilypressed and then released, and the lid member is fitted to the openingof the reinforcing component of the container main body as the drum bodyreturns to its original shape after being released.
 8. A viscousmaterial filling method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein, in order tocharge the viscous material into the container main body, a viscousmaterial feed tube is first inserted into the interior of the containermain body, and the viscous material is discharged from the viscousmaterial feed tube to charge the viscous material into the containermain body as the viscous material feed tube is moved in a direction awayfrom the container main body.
 9. A viscous material filling methodaccording claim 6 or 7, wherein the lid member is fitted to the openingof the reinforcing component of the container main body, and the lidmember and reinforcing component are fixed in an air-tight manner bymeans of at least one of fusion, a sealing agent, a gasket, or sealingtape.